Simchat Torah in Homesh
Simchat Torah in HomeshHomesh First

About 300 people gathered in the ruins of Homesh in northern Samaria over the Simchat Torah holiday Sunday night/Monday, ten years after the community was expelled as part of the 2005 Disengagement. 

Families from Homesh and nearby Sa-Nur camped out at the community ruins, accompanied by yeshiva students from across the country, to bring back Jewish customs and tradition to the site. 

While security forces arrived in Homesh near the beginning of the holiday, the families persevered, and the celebration continued as planned. 

"Arab terrorism and the statements by Abu Mazen [Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas - ed.] proves that any Israeli concession provides support for terror," a representative of the Homesh First organization stated to Arutz Sheva Tuesday. "We call upon the Prime Minister to strengthen and consolidate the control of northern Samaria and allow us to return to Homesh and Sa-Nur."

Efforts to restore Homesh and Sa-Nur have slowly been forming over the past year, with Knesset Speaker MK Yuli Edelstein (Likud) introducing a bill this summer which would return the communities to Jewish hands.

The legislation is based on the fact that both communities were expelled despite them being in Area C - the area of Judea-Samaria fully and legally under Israeli control.

Homesh and Sa-Nur families recently met with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to discuss their ordeal as well.